


The Important Business Man and The Clueless Artist

by the_potato_admin



Category: Avengers, Marvel, stony - Fandom
Genre: M/M, Multi, Stony - Freeform, one of the cutest couples ever, the important business man and the clueless artist
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-05-10
Updated: 2015-05-10
Packaged: 2018-03-29 21:08:39
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 9
Words: 9,140
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3910753
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/the_potato_admin/pseuds/the_potato_admin
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Tony Stark, the smart-ass playboy.<br/>Steve Rogers, the embodiment of justice and kindness himself.<br/>Unbelievable couple, right?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> So, this is my first fanfic ever.   
> (ofc it's Stony--)  
> Anyways, I hope you like it! There isn't too much angst, so don't worry! Have fun reading the words that came from my blood, sweat, and tears. ;w;

Two things.  
One: Tony Stark was /not/, and I repeat, /not/, good with emotions. He wasn't good with people. He didn't like people. He hated having to face his emotions, and his actions of what said emotions did. He was a playboy, women came and went, and he preferred to keep it that way most of the time. Sure, there was Pepper, but-  
That was another store entirely, and he didn't want to explain it. 

Two: Steve Rogers, Captain /fucking/ America, was basically the idea of perfection.  
In fact, Tony believed that if he looked up the words, "kind", "unbelievably adorable", and "fucking amazing in general" in the dictionary, he wouldn't see words.  
Nope.  
He'd see that cute, perfect face of Steve. 

So, it wasn't real hard to see why Tony had a hard time thinking the American soldier would ever, /ever/, even think about dating him.  
I mean, sure, the genius couldn't help but wonder about it.  
Wasn't that his job as a scientist?  
Always wonder?

Whatever.

Whether or not it was technically his job, he had. 

It was hard not to.

Wonder Boy was living with him, in his crushed, broken place, that took more hits than the Avengers themselves during the last battle. 

That tiny bit of information pissed him off more than just about any random alien attack that could happen, but again, off topic. 

But, Stark couldn't think of a damn thing better than Rogers strutting around his damaged home, acting as if he lived there with him, to make his attitude lighten. 

Because, that little fact was making him feel hotter than he ever could. 

Of course, he could obviously blame that on the fact that his giant fucking skyscraper had a magnificently large hole in it, and considering that most of his furniture wasn't exactly color-friendly, the blacks and greys, along with any other dark colors he liked, seem to lure the sunlight into his house, beckoning the heat to just override anything and anyone around. 

Everyone could feel it.  
He could definitely feel it, and it was making him more and more grumpy as he sat in his lab, his eyes staring down at the blueprints for some new gadget that he had obviously seen no need to finish.  
It wasn't that he was tired. 

Which, he always was due to the lack of sleep, but that wasn't the thing that made him stop working. 

It wasn't that he ran out of coffee- the only thing that practically kept him alive as of then- either. 

No, it wasn't any of the things that thumped his mind the wrong way.  
He was just.. Unsure.

Of anything. 

After all, waking up one day to realize you've got a little boy crush on the star-spangled banner in the flesh can confuse someone. 

"Hey."

Speak of the devil himself-  
Muttering a soft curse to himself, he didn't even bother to look up from where he sat. 

"Hi."  
Instantly, Tony could notice a few things that the Captain seemed to always do.  
He always fidgeted.  
Like he had somewhere to be. Didn't matter the time or the place, something was always moving or tapping, or glancing around or twisting or turning. It wasn't that noticeable-  
Unless, you were Iron Man, the only person who seemed to pick out every little movement that a person did that he did not like.  
Another thing Steve always did, was never wait for someone to reply. Tony thought about it for a moment, and couldn't help but snicker at all the times that the larger man had interrupted him, and all the times that small interruption led to a large argument that seemed to continue on for days. 

But, with a raised brow, and a clearing of his throat, Steve Rogers continued his sentence in a voice that sounded like he was giving a lecture.  
Tony wasn't sure if that tone was permanent.  
Sure, he had heard it wear off a few times, whenever Steve was enjoying himself just a bit too much, or when he was actually relaxed.  
Tallying up the very few times that had happened, he began to think the Captain always had a stick up his butt, and quite frankly, he'd like to pull it out.  
Literally.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> To be honest, I haven't exactly named the chapters because I /don't know what to name them/-  
> Plus I'm publishing this super super late and I can't even think so-  
> Here's the second chapter!

"Sorry for bothering you. It's just that-  
Well, you didn't seem too busy."  
Steve finished, gesturing to the lazy pose that Tony had laid himself in not moments before. 

"Oh, I'm sorry Cap. Even when you become a billionaire who has nothing better to do than throw money around, you still don't get a break, right?"  
Tony stretched upward, his chocolate hues staring directly at the Captain now that the fires had been shot.  
It was always like this between the two, and it was always this exhausting.  
All they did was argue back and forth, with Tony's occasional smart-ass retorts thrown in from time to time. 

That made the poor Stark wonder even more about the man in front of him. 

Was there ever a breaking point with Steve? 

Or did the man heal emotionally like he did physically? 

Did he ever cry? 

Tony knew he could get mad, but was he ever exactly /happy/? 

Sure, everyone on the team had seen it. The fake, I'm-only-smiling-so-I-don't-have-to-confront-my-feelings smile. The smile that made Tony's heart ache, even when it wasn't even a real "heart".  
His had probably been sold on the black market long ago. 

As these questions popped up in his head, Tony did all he could to listen to the angry little fuss that Steve had returned.

"Well, I guess not, considering that billionaire should be worrying about the safety of his team and being able to fix his little gadgets instead of throwing money around." 

With a loud sigh, which he made sure Rogers could obviously hear, Stark stood from where he was.  
"What do you want, Cap? Hate to break it to you, since you worked so hard on the 'small-talk', but I don't have all the time in the world." 

Sarcasm dripped from his tongue like venom as he stared into the wonderfully blue eyes, that stared back. 

He had to admit, it was hard not to get lost in the blues. 

But, something caught him off-guard.  
   
The soldier in front of him turned from a defensive, frustrated leader who had no time on his hands, to a gentle, relaxed soul, who had no burdens whatsoever. 

That, ladies and gentlemen, is why Steve Rogers managed to capture Tony Stark without even trying. 

"Well.. I um, thought it would be pretty cool if I could stay in here for a while and sketch. I've never had permission to step into unknown territory such as Stark's lab, but, I've got nothing better to be doing right now."  
That's when Steve pulled the sketchbook out from behind his back, a scrawny, overused pencil following.  
Oh yeah, Steve liked to draw.  
Tony needed to remember that.  
It would always be a fun project to try and sneak a peek of what the pretty boy was drawing. 

"Oh, so you thought that you had nothing better than to sit here and draw wonderful sketches of me? Well, you should've said so sooner. I welcome all portraits of my glorious features, though, most times I don't even have to welcome them."  
He could tell the bragging made Steve give a slight smile, and he shook his head.

"Whatever you say, Iron Man the Great."

Oh! So he decided to play along? Well, that was a first, especially for Tony.  
But, before he could keep this enjoyable conversation up, a loud alarm beeped in his lab.  
"Sir," JARVIS said, coming over the two in a somewhat louder voice, until Stark shooed and swatted at the ceiling and the noise disappeared.  
"Ugh, what?"  
A loud groan escaped the scientist, his eyes narrowing in annoyance.  
"You have a meeting. Miss Potts would be terribly upset if you missed it, considering you promised her that you'd show." The booming voice seemed to remind Tony of the last promise he made, which sent guilt crushing his stomach.  
He had made that promise because Pepper was so distressed the last time he didn't show for an important meeting, and she had to deal with angry men in tight business suits for hours.  
He couldn't leave her in a situation like that, let alone be late this time.  
"Oh, shit."  
Tony grabbed his jacket and began to rush out the door--  
Until his brown eyes met blue  
They looked... Confused. Lost. Up close, it was easy to tell. Saddened. Yet, curious too.  
That look that his little crush gave him made his heart sink with some unbearable feeling. He couldn't just leave Steve like that, alone in his lab, wondering what had just snapped him out of his thoughts and away from the person whom he had chosen to spend his leisure time with. 

So, with a deep inhale of breath,  
Tony let his hands slide into the blonde, wispy hair that stood perfectly on Captain America's head. 

"I'll be right back," He said, a forced smile pulled his cheeks up to make the statement sound more sincere.  
He really hated to give this type of treatment towards his love-(did he really just say /love/? God, it was getting worse-), but he couldn't help it.

Duty calls. 

Rogers returned the smile, which made butterflies awake and dance in his belly.  
"Okay." 

With that, the important business man was off, leaving his clueless artist behind to finish whatever little doodle he had started.

 

The whole drive to the large building, Tony could only think:

"This is gonna kill me.  
He's gonna kill me, I swear."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry if my chapters are real short /sob  
> I just kinda wanna space everything out and I'm just-  
> Sorry uvu


	3. Chapter 3

Tony didn't come "right back".  
Hell, he was later than the word "late" would imply.  
The old geezers couldn't take more time with the lousy meeting-

Scratch that. 

They could've.

And if they did, Tony probably would've been locked out and have to get an apartment somewhere.  
While the others may enjoy that sweet, silent night with Stark away, they'd have hell to deal with when he returned. 

So, he was glad he didn't have to rent a temporary home. 

What he wasn't glad for, was the terrible silence as he walked in.  
But, what did he expect? It was late, and no one would wait up for him.  
They were all tired too, and he couldn't blame them for going to bed without knowing the location of Tony 24/7.  
It was sort of a shot at his ego, but he'd get over it. 

He decided that maybe he'd just work on a few neat ideas he had, and just slip into slumber whenever he was ready.  
Turning on the light in his lab, he lazily looked up. "JARVIS, did you turn the lights off without my permission, or did someone els-"  
Stopping dead in his tracks, his eyes widened at the sight he saw.  
JARVIS didn't even need to reply.  
He realized why the lights were off.

On his desk laid a sleepy Captain America, who barely woke from the other man bursting in. His hair was a mess, blonde wisps everywhere, and he had plopped his upper body on his desk, and dozed off, sketchbook in hand.  
He suspected someone like Natasha just happened to walk by and see the sleeping soldier, and just lazily threw a warm, plush, blue blanket over his shoulders. 

Since the noise that had interrupted Steve from his adorable little slumber had stopped, he instantly fell back asleep.  
Soft snores left his rosy pink lips, full and beautiful like the rest of him.  
'Holy hell..'  
Tony thought, his hand reaching towards his own lips in a worried manner.  
'What have I got myself caught up in?' 

Well, he couldn't just leave the man like this.  
His blueprints were underneath him, and, Stark was 99% sure that sleeping like that could /not/ be comfortable.  
He'd know, considering he planned on doing it that night. 

"Fuck.." He muttered, and bit his lip. Sure, it was real sweet and nice of him to move his crush to his room, but the real problem remained:  
Could he actually /do/ it?  
Steve wasn't exactly the lightest person in the building, and Tony wasn't the strongest.  
Could he do it with his suit on?  
Maybe he could wake up Bruce and make him pissy enough where he went apeshit crazy and literally threw Rogers to his room-  
Wasn't exactly the most romantic situation, he guessed.  
Plus, as far as he knew, Steve wasn't a heavy sleeper.  
Having a big, green, scary man throwing you around and yelling inaudible things would probably wake him up, and if it didn't, he still had the fall to handle. 

But, Tony was obviously overthinking.  
So, slowly, he wrapped one arm under his legs, and one arm around the small of his back.  
And pushed.  
With a heavy groan, he hesitantly raised the sleeping man from his chair.  
"Oh my /God/," He breathed, realizing that either he was real weak, or the guy in his arms was real heavy.  
He hoped it was the ladder. 

What seemed like hours passed as he trudged down the dark hallways, carrying a big hunk of rock named Steve to his bedroom, that unfortunately was at the very end of the hall.  
"JARVIS, please.. Please open the door."  
Tony heaved, and the unlock of the handle creaked and echoed through the whole building.  
Then slowly, he pushed the door open and honestly threw his idol into bed, glad to have the weight off his body.  
"Jeez..." He breathed, resting his hands on his knees. 

But, suddenly, his breathing calmed when the man on the bed let out a whimper in his sleep, and turned.  
It was obvious how much control he had on Tony's body, and that thought griped him as soon as it happened.

"Same here, bud."

He said to particularly no one as he sat on the bed in front of him, hoping that the sleepy feeling that slowly crept it's way to his head would slow slightly. At this rate, he wouldn't even make it back to his room before passing out. 

The movement on the bed made Steve move again, and he honestly thought that he had woken him up. 

But he didn't.

With a sigh of relief, Tony moved to stand again, and leave his friend.

Again, though, something stopped him dead in his tracks. 

He looked back, and saw what had stopped him. 

A hand.

More importantly, Steve's hand.

He had gripped onto Tony's shirt sometime during the movement he made. 

Brown eyes widened at that desperate hold that the man had on him, and a loud "tsk" sound escaped him.  
"I'm guessing that means you don't want me to leave, right?"  
He mumbled to his love, his idol, the one that he had fallen for without even wanting to. 

After that, he slipped underneath the blankets with the man who he never thought would be that close to him, and, honestly?

It was the best damn sleep he ever had.


	4. Chapter 4

Well, he sure as hell didn't wake up the same way.  
Glorious Steve and his wonderful alarm system sent Tony on the floor before the sun was even up.  
"Jesus, Cap, do you ever even sleep? I think you're actually getting up /before/ any roosters--"

"Wh-  
That doesn't matter! Why were you in my bed?!"  
An obviously flustered Steve demanded answers the second he saw that the two were cuddling in his bed, all warm and happy.  
Way to ruin the moment. 

Before the guy could kill him, Tony moved his arms up in defense.  
"Woah there, big guy! It wasn't my idea-"

"Oh yeah? Well, who's was it?"  
Feeling the nervous tone, a loud, exasperated noise flew from his lungs.  
"It was yours, Cap."

".. Huh?" 

"You fell asleep at my desk. I took you to bed. You grabbed onto my shirt with some type of death grip, and I was forced to stay with you."  
Sudden realization hit Steve pretty hard, and even he himself could see that.  
"Oh-  
Really?! I'm sorry, Tony! I don't remember that at all!--"  
Going from frantic and nervous to apologetic and worried in mere seconds, again, sent Tony almost whirring. It was just sort of that 'wow' feeling. 

"Wait.."  
Apparently, the nervous wreck beside him wasn't done as he narrowed his eyes, and looked down at the genius with a smug smirk.  
"Did you really pick me up, and drag me to bed?"  
A pink hue flew straight to his cheeks as it was brought up.  
Oh, shit.  
"Of course I did! I couldn't have you drooling all over /my/ precious pictures, now could I? Do you realize how much money I'd be losing if I let your sleepy ass just pass out wherever you want?--"

"Not really. You do it all the time."

"Well, me and you are different, since I make the money and have no need to care about the money I lose.  
Now wipe that shit-eating grin off your face."

"Aw, but I thought this was your favorite expression!"

"It was, until some idiot ruined it for me." 

A loud chuckle escaped the tired captain as he rolled back over in bed, his smile seeming to be honestly genuine now.  
And, well, as for the tired genius?  
I guess he was just out of luck when it came to a peaceful sleep. 

But, the way Steve smiled at Tony made..  
Something rattle in his chest. Something he hadn't felt in a while. Steve was never really this relaxed, and seeing him so happy and calm made him almost... Feel responsible for it.  
Maybe, just maybe, he was the reason why Steve wasn't so tense.  
Had he actually dislodged that stick that seemed so far up his ass that it was deemed unreachable?  
No fair.  
He hadn't seen any sticks or asses yet.


	5. Chapter 5

After that day, the two weren't very close. There were a few occasions where, when he wasn't out training or doing any other type of exercise, Captain would sit around Stark's lab and watch him work on whatever new project had gotten his attention, and draw God knows what in that sketchbook of his. 

That thought alone made Tony's curiosity almost unbearable. 

He really wanted to know.  
   
What could've been so important that you draw it constantly? 

I mean, other than Tony. He was damn near sure that Steve was only stopping by to doodle him.

But why doodle him?  
 He was right there, and he could do a lot more with that pencil than Rogers could ever even imagine-  
Dirty, dirty thoughts.

He shook his head free of the wondrous images of naked Steve, and decided to solely concentrate on his new suit.  
Yeah.

That didn't last long.

Before he could even say, "Self control," Tony had already plopped himself next to the man who had taken over his head.  
"So," He began, brown meeting blue once again.  
This time, the sadness and the weary expression didn't really show in his eyes. It was more of just utter confusion, with maybe a hint of... Embarrassment?  
That was more than interesting to the scientist.  
"Do tell me, what do you even do over here?" 

"... I draw?"

"Woah! Really? That's so strange, I never even thought of that! Thanks for clearing that up, bud."  
With a pat on his back, Tony could tell Steve was now more than just confused, and he sighed once more.  
He seemed to be doing that a lot.  
"Sarcasm.  
I was actually asking, what /do/ you draw?" 

Total silence greeted him as a a reply.  
Until a soft rustling beside him motioned for Tony to take the notebook.  
"Um.. Here."  
He muttered, his eyes darting away. He didn't know exactly what to do, other than take the sketchbook and wonder why it was so embarrassing to pass up the little notebook. 

Opening the worn cover, he slowly began to see why.  
Of course it was nothing more than mere sketches, sloppy pencil lines that slowly turned into pieces of art, but he could see the emotion that followed with each slow, steady mark of granite. He could tell the work, the hard years of practicing every day for it to turn out like this. He could understand the struggle, the frustration. To the breaking point where, he could see the image of young Steve, his face buried in his dark, greyish hands, as another failure lays across the table, ripped to shreds.  
That's why he was so embarrassed by it.  
He still wasn't happy with the art he was making.  
It hit Stark hard.  
The realization that if he maybe looked longer at the boy who doodled in the corner of his room, he could see the relentless determination that was met with utter defeat.  
The way that everything aligned perfectly in his head, but not on his paper.  
The years of preservation and willpower being ripped apart by just one simple mistake in a sea of masterpieces.  
Because of this sudden emotion that hit him like a wave, he honestly thought that he had figured the soldier out. 

He hadn't.

As he continued to flip through the never ending sketches, he noticed that the beautiful skyscrapers and buildings turned into...  
Him.  
Damn, /he had guessed right/.  
Steve had come into his lab just to draw him.  
But before he could marvel at the pictures of himself and at how detailed they were, the party pooper beside him decided that he had seen enough of Tony's ogling at his sketchbook, and snatched it from him. 

"Well!" Steve said, his face a little red.  
"Don't you think it's time you kept working on... Well, whatever you're working on?"  
A nervous grin pulled his rosy cheeks upward, and made the genius beside him flutter slightly.  
That was becoming annoying.  
Tony really wished he could've just kissed him to stop that ridiculous feeling from rising in his chest.  
"Hm.. No, not really. I think it's time I look through that whole sketchbook of yours and maybe, oh, I don't know, take a few pictures?-"

"Wha- No way! I worked hard on these!"

"Come on, I'll pay you."

"Nope!" A loud groan escaped the scientist as the ex-soldier got up and shook his head.

"I'm going to get some food, and take my trusty sketchbook with me. Have fun with your.. Stuff."

The chirp in his voice made him narrow an eye at his words.  
"Yeah, yeah. See you later, toots."  
That nickname made his eyes widen.  
Usually, he wouldn't think twice about it.  
But, this was /his crush/ he was talking to. It wasn't the other way around, like usual. 

Thankfully, Steve didn't think twice about it, and simply padded away from the shocked billionaire and his work.  
"Nice job, Tony."  
He groaned to himself, and his head pressed against the desk that days before, his adorable one-sided love laid, deep in his dreams.


	6. Chapter 6

It had been about a week since the two ever spoke about the notebook, much less anything else.  
Now, the Avengers lay in the living room, all bundled up and pressed against eachother on different parts of the couch. Nat was on one side, her legs in Clint's lap. Whatever God awful chick-flick that was on the TV obviously had her attention, while the man decided it was time to finally check his loads and loads of arrows for any screw-ups or mistakes that accidentally slipped into his supply.  
Thor and Bruce laid on another sofa, except they weren't so touchy-touchy as Nat and Clint happened to be.  
They were just sitting, concentrating on anything but the parts that touched.  
At first, Nat was going to sit with Bruce, but the guy made it certain he wanted to sit with no one else but Thor.  
It was weird, but, Nat didn't push.  
Thankfully, Steve had ended up with Tony on the far end of some couch. They weren't far apart, but they weren't exactly close either.  
That is, until Steve carelessly rested his head against Tony's shoulder.  
Oh.  
Well, being a man of "I don't like people touching me", it was definitely something new to the brunette.  
Especially, since... he didn't find it annoying, like most people that did it in the past. He didn't find it clingy, or stupid, or anything but...  
Nice.  
For once, Tony Stark felt nothing but /nice/.  
Never thought that would happen. 

While the moment lasted, he could almost feel Steve drifting off, until Clint /had/ to fucking ruin it.  
"So, Nat," Clint muttered loud enough to get the whole room's attention, and make the Captain jump awake. 

"Mm?"

"Who do you think 'mommy' is, and who do you think 'daddy' is?" He asked as she popped a piece of candy into her mouth, and looked at the two that were snug on the piece of furniture across from them.  
"Steve is obviously mommy." She said, nodding.

"Eh? You sure? Because I dunno, but Stark looks like the mom." 

"No, no. It's obviously Steve. Look." She tilted her head to gesture to the two.  
A tired, ignoring Tony who wished he could just walk across the room and beat the shit out of them, and a wide-eyed Steve who's blush was so bright, not even the dimmed lights of the room could save him. 

"Aw! Look, he's blushing!" Clint said in a mocking tone, and Cap instantly hid his face.

"Friend Clint, please leave friend Steve at bay. The poor mortal cannot handle such slanders, nor should you be the one to do such harm."  
Slipping a piece of buttered up popcorn into his mouth, Thor finished his booming statement with a chuckle.  
"Though, friend Steve would indeed be the mother."

With that, Rogers seemed he could take no more, and stood. He was quiet, for once in his lifetime, and he softly excused himself to his room, bidding everyone a good night.  
Tony didn't buy it.  
Honestly, think. He literally just got bashed by his "friends", and Tony was already pretty sure that his pretty friend was nowhere near gay. Being paired up with someone like himself would be pretty heartbreaking, he admitted.

Groaning, he stood.  
"Bravo, kids. Way to make mommy upset."  
Tony announced to the room of superheros, and Clint innocently threw his hands up.  
"Why does everyone think Rogers would be the mom?! Jeez, you're all blind!" That sent Thor into loud laughter that obviously reigned over the TV within a matter of seconds.  
"Friend Clint, your humor is most enjoyable! Though, I am not blind as you say."  
He said, his voice quieting once the commercials ended.   
Butt that was all the scientist heard.  
He was already heading down the hallway, straight towards Steve's room. He wasn't sure what he was expecting, if anything really, but he just hoped that the cap hadn't gone off the deep end before he could get there.  
With one deep inhale of breath, the somewhat tanned knuckle tapped against the door that held Captain America inside.  
One knock.  
Two knocks-

"The door's open." A soft, melancholy tone rang from somewhere inside the room.  
He guessed that was permission to come inside, so he carefully opened the door to see-  
Well, it was Steve.  
He wasn't Captain America anymore.  
He didn't even seem like he had ever been. He was sitting on his bed in a fetal-like position, his head resting on his broad knees.  
Yet, with all that muscle and strength, Steve Rogers looked...  
Small.  
Vunerable.  
That pushed a rock down Tony's throat, which instantly sunk down into his stomach.  
Forgetting totally about the door, Stark moved into the room, and sat beside Cap on the large, pillow fortress that some mattress was buried underneath.  
Apparently, the embodiment of America liked pillows.

"Hey," He said softly to the man beside him, which caused somewhat damped, crystal blue eyes to glance back up at him.  
"Hi."  
It was real awkward for a moment.  
As the minutes ticked by slowly, the brunette cleared his throat.  
"Wanna talk about it?" 

A few more minutes in silence.

".. Talk about what?" 

"Oh, I don't know. Maybe how you stormed off and left me with dumbbell and his partner in crime?" He asked, his hand pressing against Steve's.  
"What's up with you?" 

An agitated groan escaped the American soldier, before he looked away.  
".. Something's on my mind."

"Oh, of fucking course. I already got that part. Care to share the rest, dear?" He snapped, which was a bad choice. When he saw Steve flinch, his grip on his hand tightened.  
"Sorry, sorry. You know how.. Grouchy I can get, blah blah."  
He still wasn't one to share emotions.  
But the apology made Steve lighten up slightly. His lips curled into a smile, which made Tony all bubbly inside.  
"Thank you, Tony." 

"Care to talk now?" 

"I.. I don't know. I just.. Don't know.  
My head's all jumbled, and I can't think straight."

'Boy, you and me both.'  
Tony thought, but knew better than to interrupt the anxious man beside him.

"It's just.. What do you do when you think you want to do something, but you aren't exactly sure if you should do it?"

"Well, I've always just done it. Act now, think later or whatever." He said with a shrug, before noticing that he hadn't been doing that.  
He hadn't just, been doing whatever he wanted.  
He hadn't went out, he hadn't had a drop of alcohol, and he hadn't had one single woman in bed.  
And all of that was because of the stupid, little crush he had.

Or was it really just a crush? 

As Steve continued on about something that he was sure he didn't know how to explain, Tony just sighed and shook his head.  
"Steve, Steve, wait. Just- just wait a minute."

"What?" 

"You didn't exactly understand me when I said act now, think later. Here, let me show you." 

Before Steve could protest, Tony placed his lips against the beautiful, pink ones that had haunted him for quite some time, hoping that he wouldn't be rejected. 

It took a second for the Cap to realize what was happening.

Okay, maybe more like a minute or two. 

But after he did, he slowly and hesitantly pressed his lips back against the billionaire's, and it felt like his confidence rose to new heights. 

The large, broad arms of his beloved idol wrapped around his neck, and he gently placed his hands against Steve's hips.  
He felt like he was in Heaven. 

This heated kiss, nothing more than two mouths molded perfectly together, every now and again a soft tongue added into the mixture, lasted for quite some time. 

Tony wasn't exactly sure if Steve wanted to... Continue.

When his warm tongue pressed back against Steve's lips, he could feel the man tense. His hands tried to relax and calm him, sliding up and down the large sides of the blonde. 

A loud gasp, and a soft whine escaped Rogers, giving the brunette the perfect opportunity to push the hot muscle into his mouth, and more than enough time to  explore to his delight.

Being more than just slightly aroused, Tony took it upon himself to speed things along. He moved from the edge of the bed to on top of Steve, who in return wrapped his thighs around his waist.

 Which was exactly what the genius wanted.  
He was so close, and they had just started.

Pulling away for a quick breath, Tony smiled down at his crush who happily sat underneath him, already a heavy-breathing mess.  
His hands gripped onto the expensive shirt that covered the brunette's upper body, and soft groans left his Tony-abused(he liked that term) mouth, just from the soft friction that their pants made from the close contact. 

This was a beautiful site to take in, he decided. 

"So... Is this okay?"  
He mumbled, and Steve instantly nodded.

"More than okay."

"... Was this what was bothering you?"

"Not just this... It was you in general." 

"Oh? So, you're saying I was the thing that bothered Steve Rogers to the point of breaking?"

A chuckle escaped him as he shook his head.  
"Shut up for once and kiss me, Tony." 

"Sir yes sir."  
Just as he had been ordered, Tony kissed Steve with a feverish passion, which was instantly returned back. His tongue didn't ask for permission anymore, as it was already granted. He let his tongue twist and twirl with the other's, before he moved away.  
His lips went from his jawline, to his neck with soft, butterfly kisses. But, after hearing an impatient mutter of his name escape from Rogers' lips, he couldn't be as gentle as he intended. Soft kisses turned into rough nips and bites, and hickeys began to form on his neck.  
when he bit into Steve's collarbone, however, a sharp gasp overtook him as he arched his back, his fingers practically clawing into the man's shirt above him.  
"T- Tony..!" 

Of course, though, something had to ruin this perfect moment.

Or, someone.

"Hey, guys, is that the TV in here or am I he--  
OH MY GOD!"  
Clint covered his face as a glare from Tony was sent his way, next an embarrassed expression from Steve caused Clint to burst into laughter.  
"Well, it seems mom and dad made up!" 

"LEAVE." Tony demanded, and Clint waved his hand.

"Next time, close the door!" After that, the door shut behind him and left the heated duo alone once more.

"So.."

"Yeah...?" 

"Do you want to continue?"  
He asked Steve softly, before pressing his forehead against the warm, somewhat damp other's. 

".. Hmm.. Don't you think the kids would prefer if we take it slow?"  
A soft chuckle left him. It was obvious he was tired, but reasons unknown. 

"Yes, yes, mommy Rogers." While he hated that his fun was over for the night, he felt relaxed and calm around Steve. Especially when they were alone, able to enjoy each other's company happily without anyone or anything disturbing them. 

Soon enough, they slowly slipped away from the outfits that constricted what was to happen before, and just wrapped around eachother. Tony felt Steve press his head against his reactor, which gave a dim blue light to the darkened room.  
After what felt like ages in the silent room, Tony couldn't help himself from dozing off.  
It was so peaceful. Almost too peaceful. Steve's presence and warmth made his body relax and his mind go blank with sleepiness. For once, Tony felt like he could sleep forever.  
But as he was dozing off, he could've sworn he heard something come from his new boyfriend that was so carelessly cuddled up to him.  
It was a mumble, nothing too alarming.  
A simple, happy,  
"I love you."

In his dreamy state, Tony couldn't help but mutter back into the blond hair that delicately tickled his beard without any mischievous intentions. 

"Mm, love you too."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finally, some cute little Stony smut!  
> Ain't much, just a little taste.  
> Are you excited? Good!


	7. Chapter 7

Okay, the billionaire had to admit.

It was real nice waking up next to Steve.

Not the type of waking up that happened before, where he had been thrown off the bed like some kind of bug.  
No, the sweet type of waking up.  
The type that fills your heart up with warmth and happiness as you look at your still sleeping partner and remember all the sweet things that happened the day before.

The type where you can't help but think you want that feeling forever. 

Steve was just so warm and comforting, and his arms were lazily placed against Tony's hips to pull him closer whenever his subconscious self felt the need to do so. Soft little breaths escaped him, and made the little hairs on his chest stand.  
It was pleasant.  
Especially when he woke up to the blonde all snuggled against him, his hair fluffed out against the pillow underneath him, and his usual stout expression being replaced with one of peace and relaxation.  
'Another side of Steve,' Tony thought, 'and this one looks the best.' 

Well, considering they were in Steve's bed, bundled up together, the next best thing would be if they finally threw off their clothes and--

That was a topic for later.

Truth be told about Tony Stark, is that he was usually the grumpiest person in the room during the mornings.  
Whether that was because of the endless hours of work, or the restless hours where he /just/ couldn't will himself to sleep, no one knew.  
They did know that if you wanted to get your head bit off by him, the easiest time would be in the morning before his coffee had time to kick in.

Speaking of coffee...

The addiction towards the black liquid instantly sent buzzers to his mind, and he decided that the best scene of his life(so far) could wait a second for him to grab a cup. 

He had finally wiggled himself free of the sleepy grasp that the Cap had on him, and had slipped out of bed.  
Thankful that he didn't wake the man up was an understatement.  
He knew that if Stark himself couldn't handle shit during the mornings, especially after being woken up, then Rogers probably would murder a man.  
'Please, murder? The man can barely even cuss without feeling bad.'  
A snicker escaped at that thought, and he shook his head. 

He decided to stop by his own room and change into something more comfortable, and strolled into his living room to get a fresh, hot cup of coffee, when something caught his eye.  
No, scratch that.  
It was someone.

"... Pepper?" 

The blonde slowly turned around. She was dressed as she always was.  
Stout, and poised.  
A pencil skirt that fitted her hips, and a long sleeve, collared shirt to match. A strained smile appeared on her face the moment she saw the sleepy man.  
"Hello, Tony." 

Gripping onto his mug a little too tight, Tony listened to the constant complaints of his ex-secretary,  Pepper. She always had something to fuss about, whether it was the way that the house looked, to the way that /he/ looked.  
True, he did look a little bad.  
Brown, scruffy hair flew about in places it usually never did, and darkened circles were stuck underneath his eyes, indicating the little sleep he got.  
But hell, he slept well the night before. Wasn't that enough?  
Apparently not.

Pepper and Tony... Had a bad relationship. True, it was healing, but there would forever be a scar on the way they talked, the awkward way they greeted and left each other.  
That wasn't the case months ago.  
Instead, they were madly in love. Tony felt practically in heaven, and for the first time, he actually felt love towards another human being.  
It hit off with a good start.  
They both cared about each other dearly, and it was just the superhero with his sidekick secretary against the world.  
Love wasn't the only thing that he felt though.  
He felt trust.  
He couldn't trust another person more than he trusted Pepper, and while his heart preferred to disagree, his mind knew the truth.  
And, it wasn't the love that hurt him when they decided to go separate ways.  
It was the trust that left with her.  
There was no real reason why she left.  
Why they broke up.  
It had just been a thing that they never discussed. They were done, and that was it.  
Of course, Pepper stayed by Tony, and took care of him like a friend would.  
But, Stark felt like it wasn't enough. It was never enough. He missed her.  
He missed her smile, the delicate little kisses she'd give, the cute way her eyes narrowed when she smiled.  
And just when he thought that he was finally getting over her, that he was /finally/ finding someone else he trusted, and maybe even loved..  
She came back.  
And that pained him. 

While she was blabbering on about the condition of the tower and JARVIS, he decided to tune out.  
What was he doing?  
He had a gorgeous, sleeping angel waiting for him to come back and cuddle him, and he was here.  
What a waste.  
"Tony, hey, Tony!"  
Pepper snapped him out of his trance, and he groaned.  
"Yes, princess?"  
"Are you even listening?"  
"Wh- of course! Because I wake up at seven thirty in the morning every day, and just wish that I can listen to your wonderful complaints about things. To be honest, I'm a little hurt that you'd ask such a thing."  
With an offended look that was soon replaced by a chuckle, he could see the irritation in her eyes and he shrugged.  
"Sorry. I'm just a little tired."  
"Yeah, I can see that." 

"Anyways." She began, clearing her throat.  
"I'm sorry for just barging in here. It's just that, well, I missed seeing you, Tony. Even if we aren't serious anymore, it's still nice to see you."

That statement made his heart ache.  
Had she really come back just for him?  
Was it really just because she missed him? It seemed unlikely that she'd hop on a plane and come to meet him before the day had even started just because she "missed" him. 

Noticing that he hadn't replied to her, apparently Pepper saw this opportunity to wrap her petite arms around his shoulders and hug him tight, and in habit he returned it by sliding his arms around her waist, and gave her a tiny squeeze. 

That's when it happened. 

Tony hadn't expected it, hell, he didn't even think that Pepper herself expected what she did.  
But, before he knew what was happening, her familiar lips then pushed against him.  
His hands went up in surprise.  
No.  
That couldn't be happening.  
He refused to believe it.  
He had /just/ got comfy with his Capsicle, and now she had decided to come and ruin it.

Trying to pull away, Tony heard a movement behind the two, and a small gasp.  
Fuck, who was it?  
His heart felt like it was being crushed by a truck.  
Pepper instantly pulled away, a sheepish smile on her face as she looked at the intruder.

"Oh, hello Steve." She choked giddily, before standing.  
"Um.. Today was fun. Thanks for seeing me, Tony. I'll just be on my way."  
With that, she left, not understanding what chaos she had just made. 

Tony instantly turned.  
Brown eyes met blue.  
Both were surprised. Both were confused. Except, the icy blue orbs showed a hint of sadness. Of anguish. Like he was being stabbed over and over, and he just couldn't take it.  
'Oh /shit/.' Tony thought, and he held a hand out to the depressed Steve.  
"Steve, I-"  
Before he could explain or try and justify what had happened, the blonde was gone.  
His door slammed, and the genuis already knew that it'd be locked. 

He didn't know what to do.  
Should he go and comfort the man?  
Would he /let/ him?  
Looking down with a soft sigh, he buried his head in his hands.  
Wasn't his day, apparently.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, I know 1-7 were posted all together and you probably think the rest will be too but-  
> Not yet.  
> I'm working on chapter 8 right now, so I don't know when it'll be out because its taking forever with school and stuff.  
> So be patient. It'll probably be a few days. Or a week. Not sure-  
> Love you all, and thank you for reading what I've got so far, though!


	8. Chapter 8

Tony had decided that it'd be best to leave Cap alone.   
It wasn't because he didn't want to go comfort him, it was far from that actually. It was just...  
He didn't know what to say.  
It wouldn't seem very reasonable if he just said, "Pepper kissed me and I didn't pull away, but that's okay because I didn't kiss back," right?  
Right.   
That night, he didn't sleep at all. He just sat in the dark living room, coffee next to him on the table. He stayed up until he heard a soft unlock of a door, and footsteps walking out. He didn't even need to turn his head to see who it was.   
Soon he saw the cutest thing ever.   
There stood Steve, rubbing one of his eyes like a child. He wore a pair of light blue sweatpants, worn slightly so the color wasn't as bright as it used to be. Over the hem of them(that fell lower than Tony wanted to believe) was a creamy white shirt that loosely showed the outline of his tight abdomen. For once, he wasn't wearing socks.  
Was Captain America really one to sleep without socks?  
But, sadly, this wonderful moment was ruined by the look on Steve's face.  
It was utter betrayal.   
Like someone kicked a puppy and then yelled at it. It lasted for only a second, because the man looked away the instant their eyes met, and walked past him towards the coffee machine.   
That was weird. Steve wasn't a coffee drinker.  
The more Tony looked, the more he could see. The guy looked awful, really. Eyes slightly puffy with dark bags underneath them, hair fluffed up like it hadn't been brushed in quite a while.   
... He'd been crying, Tony realized, and that made something catch in his throat.  
Why had Steve been crying?  
Was it because of him?  
He was thrown out if his thoughts by the clattering of cups.   
Cap had just finished pouring the amount he found necessary of cream and sugar into his cup, and slowly began to slither into the hallway.  
Tony couldn't take it anymore.  
He reached out a hand, more than just hesitantly, and wrapped it around the broad wrist of his crush, causing the blonde to stop cold his tracks.  
"Steve, wait-"

"Don't talk to me, Tony." His voice was ice cold and dangerous, and his eyes glared back at the brunette.  
   
But, as threatening as he tried to be, all Tony saw was hurt.  
Behind the coldness and cruelty, there was a sad man, full of hurt and he could do nothing about it but push away anyone and anything that tried to help so he wouldn't be a burden with his emotions. 

Steve wiggled his wrist free and quickly backed away from the frozen other and slunk into his room.   
Tony looked downward, eyes widened. 

Okay, so attempt number one didn't work, and that was his only idea at being able to get through to Steve again.

What now?

As if on cue, Natasha sat down on the plush cushion of Tony's couch.  
"Aw, are the parents fighting?" She said, grinning.  
"Not now, Romanova." Tony mumbled, rubbing his temples with a loud sigh.   
"I'm taking that as a yes."  
"And what if we are?"   
"Well, don't you think it'd be nice if the kiddies helped out?"   
"Yeah, that's exactly what I need. You and Thing One going around, messing things up even worse."   
"Well, Clint's not coming along. I'm sure he wouldn't even want to."   
"I don't need you coming, either." He snapped, and she held her hands up in defense.  
"Easy tiger, I'm just offering. I know you aren't exactly the best when it comes to this, "people have emotions" type of thing,  so I just thought it'd be easier with someone more experienced helping."  
"Oh please, what could you tell me that I don't already know?"  
"Maybe that you kinda just took Steve's heart and crushed it into a million pieces without even realizing it?"  
"... Is it really that bad?"   
"Yeah. It's like... If I were to make you the best coffee ever, anything you could ever imagine inside. And then let you get a tiny, tiny sip so you know that you obviously want more, and after that I smash it on the ground."  
"Oh."  
His fists clenched. Had he really fucked up that bad?  
"Well, that was a wonderful scenario, but how do I fix that exactly?"

"Well, I guess you have to make another cup of coffee." 

Ugh, did that mean he had to start this all over? 

As he shook his head and walked away from the girl who lounged on the couch, he sat in his room.  
Head in his hands, he felt hot water drip onto his cheeks, and realized...  
He was crying.  
His breath grew hot as the tears continued to fall, large drops falling into his arms without any trouble.   
Before long, a hiccup escaped him and he covered his face with the blanket of his luxurious bed, and decided it was time for a morning nap.  
He had nothing else to do, after all.


	9. Chapter 9

It had all happened in a blur.   
Tony stood in a room of darkness, nothing at all around him. He felt a wave of fear grip him with an intensity he hadn't felt before.  
His dark eyes searched the neverending place he stood.   
Nothing.   
"Damn.." He tsked softly to himself, before beginning to walk forward. His legs felt like there were stones attached to them, and it was a struggle to just move.   
Thoughts swirled around in his head.  
'Where am I?'  
'Where is everyone?'  
'Is this a dream?'  
'Am I dead?'  
They scattered within minutes, however, as the brunette's foot tripped over something, causing him to fall.   
A soft light shined against the surface that he walked on, but something else too.

It was a body.

Time slowed to a stop.  
Brown eyes stared at the unmoving body in horror.  
Who was it?

Before long, it was obvious.

The blue, white, and red attire that the corpse wore was tattered and ripped in places. Cuts which bled appeared to be neverending on his tanned, perfect muscles. His blonde hair fell into his face, which was also dirtied up and bruised. A thin line of red poured from his lips. 

It was Steve.

Captain America.

The super soldier was dead.

Tony couldn't believe his eyes. A shaking hand pressed against the cold arm, moving it.  
"Steve." Tony called, hot tears now freely plopping onto the floor, which showed how his composure crumpled.

Tony Stark was a broken man.

"Steve, you ass.." Tony murmured through the tears, which the body replied in a tortured, raspy voice:

"No.. You're the asshole."

The scientist quickly began to wipe his tears. If he wasn't dead, then there was no need to cry in front of him. He just wasn't like that. 

But, before he could reply in the sarcastic tone he had been raised on, an exhausted motion left a soft hand pressed against his cheek.  
Steve smiled his dazzling smile one last time, before whispering,  
"I loved you.. You know.."

His hand went limp.  
His eyes closed, and his smile faded.  
The racket in his chest that one could barely call "breathing" stopped again, and Tony...  
Tony couldn't even describe himself.  
Before he knew it, he was screaming down at the body, the hot, watery substance leaving wet stains on his cheeks, and on the corpse's body as well. He had just seen his friend-  
No, his /crush/ die, and he didn't do anything to stop it.   
He could've pulled his reactor out right then and there and died alongside him. 

"Tony!" A soft call of his name suddenly popped into his ears.

"Tony!" Okay, it was getting louder.

"TONY!" Really loud.

His eyes snapped open. He could tell instantly that he had been sweating a lot during the nap, but that wasn't what got him.  
On top of him sat a worried looking Steve, with his eyebrows knitted up to give him that sad puppy look. His lips kept saying his name over and over, until he was sure that the brunette under him was awake. After that, he sat back, and Tony could see relief practically pour over him.  
"Took you long enough," He breathed to the man under him, but that seemed to go into one ear and out the other. 

He had just seen Steve die.  
Now he was right here, being as Steve-y as usual.

He couldn't help what happened next.   
Tony slid out from underneath his crush, and wrapped his arms around him so tight it was amazing that he could breathe. It was obvious that the blonde was confused, and definitely surprised, but he hugged back just the same.   
"What happened, Tony? I just woke you up because you were screaming in your sleep--"  
"I saw you die."   
Steve tensed, and Tony felt it, but that only made him hug tighter.  
".. I'm not dead though, Tony. I'm right here."  
"Tell that to the dead Steve in my nightmare."   
"Tony--"  
"Shut up for a minute. Just.. Let me talk."  
He waited a few moments to see if the blonde would follow his order, and when he did, he continued.  
"I'm sorry, Steve. I know it must've sucked like hell to see me-- To see Pepper kiss me. But believe me, I didn't want it."  
"Tony."  
"No, no. I'm sorry that I took too long to apologize. I was just so.. So..."  
"Tony!"   
Raising an eyebrow, Tony pulled away to look at the blue eyes that lured him in without trying.  
"I wasn't mad because she kissed you, idiot."   
He said with a smile.  
"Okay, then why were you mad?"   
Steve looked away, but his lip, and wondered if he should continue. His eyes clouded with doubt for a moment, before he straightened his back and sighed.  
"Because she was the one kissing you, and I wasn't."  
Oh, well that was news to Tony.  
"So you were jealous?" He asked rather bluntly, and Steve's cheeks turned pink. It was cute, and it made Tony feel all bubbly inside.  
"Whatever you want to call it, I guess."   
"Jealous is what I'd call it."  
"Okay, just shut up now."  
"Nah. After all, I made Captain America jealous! I should do this more often."  
"No you shouldn't."  
"Why not?"  
"Because next time I'm jealous, I've decided that I'm just going to beat you up."  
"Oh, so you admit to being jealous."  
"Shut it!"   
Seeing Steve being so flustered made him chuckle, and he instantly felt better. He just had that effect on him; no matter what happened, he could always feel better when he saw those bright blue eyes and that amazing smile.   
"So," Tony began again, his grin widening as he pressed his forehead against Steve's.  
"Since you're so eager to kiss me- which, I don't blame you, I'm amazing- should I go ahead and award you with the wonderful presence of your lips against mine?"  
"Don't push it, Tony."  
"Aw, but I love pushing things."   
"Then I'm just gonna-"  
Before he could slide away from the brunette, his arms wrapped around his waist with a pout.  
"No you aren't."  
"Oh? Does this mean you want to kiss me?"   
"When did this become about me?" Tony asked with the same pout, before Steve silenced him with a soft peck.   
"It's always about you, Tony Stark. Isn't that your way of living?"   
 He couldn't help but let his grin widen as he watched the super soldier stand and stretch, a little bit of stomach showing.  
Which, Tony didn't mind.   
Not at all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> uvu Here's chapter nine!  
> What? Is this the end?!  
> nope. never. ♡  
> Anyways, more fluff and sweet stuff will come out in chapter 10.   
> I know I keep leaving you guys with cliff hangers, but, its fun.  
> thank you for reading so far!


End file.
